Democrats Jockey For Position

HOLLYWOOD — Among hard-core Democrats, the 1986 Florida governor`s race already has developed into a close one-upmanship battle between a Senate president and a former House representative.

Though the Democratic gubernatorial primary is 10 months away, the more than 2,000 delegates gathered here for the state Democratic conference are sparring fiercely over commitments to candidates Sen. Harry Johnston of West Palm Beach and ex-legislator Steve Pajcic of Jacksonville.

Cordiality rules on the surface. Democratic activists are so intent on party unity that Pajcic will pledge in today`s convention speech to ``devote every ounce and hour of effort to elect the Democratic nominee for governor whoever that is.``

That zeal for party togetherness got further exercise Saturday in the first public parade of people carrying ``Bob Graham, U.S. Senate`` posters. Gov. Graham, whose Senate candidacy still is unannounced, responded to endorsement after endorsement with the obvious, ``Should you decide to place . . . opportunities before me, I would accept them with the same sense of enthusiasm.``

But behind the scenes, one could chart blow-by-blow the key political gains made by both Johnston and Pajcic amid the swirl of this otherwise tame conference.

Most assessments place the two neck-and-neck in Broward County, a critical Democratic stronghold -- with Pajcic perhaps ahead in Dade County and Johnston definitely dominating his home turf of Palm Beach County.

The two politicians are so closely ranked at this point, that organized labor may decline to endorse in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.

``Past history has something to do with it. If the endorsed candidate loses, what are we going to do?`` said state AFL-CIO Vice President Lou Brogna. ``In the 1970 Bob Graham-Dick Shevin governor`s race, we endorsed Shevin. That`s in the back of our minds.``

Another gubernatorial candidate Sen. Frank Mann of Fort Myers, also campaigning hard at the conference, has yet to shake off the image of a dark horse.

Johnston spent part of the conference`s opening day at Century Village Democratic Club in Deerfield Beach, where Rep. Jack Tobin, D-Margate, publicly committed to him.

Yet another Johnston domino fell into place when Harry Rosenkrantz, a condominium leader from Lauderdale Lakes, signed up with the campaign: ``Harry`s going to pick up speed in Broward County,`` Rosenkrantz predicted.

Meanwhile, Anne Ackerman, the sweetheart of north Dade condominiums who learned her organizing craft in Chicago ward politics, is leaning so hard toward Pajcic that she tried on one of his orange-and-white campaign stickers.

Johnston`s major liability, according to Ackerman, is his running mate Attorney General Jim Smith, who considered switching to the Republican Party. ``He flirted. There was this flip-flop, almost as if he was testing the waters. I don`t like that.``

But Ackerman said her support for Pajcic is contingent on his choice of a South Floridian for a running mate: ``No way Pajcic can choose a lieutenant governor from any other part of the state.``

Meanwhile, Pajcic, 39, is credited by supporters with bringing youth and enthusiasm into the race. Virginia Conger, a national party committeewoman and Pajcic fundraiser, estimated as much as 90 percent of Dade`s delegation to this conference is for Pajcic.

Jessie Guido of Broward County, who ran much of Walter Mondale`s campaign in the 1984 Florida primary, said she may go for Pajcic because with ``Johnston- Smith, I don`t see the charisma to do the media job. With all things equal, I think the person who is communicating well will win out.``

But Johnston has just brought in one of Mondale`s key national staffers, Bill Tapella, to head his state campaign. And Tapella, well aware of the charisma factor, just said, ``Watch him talk (today).``

There is talk also that Pajcic may be too liberal to win. But the candidate himself, once dismissed as a long-shot, said with delight, ``That`s the same thing they said about (Gov. Reubin) Askew and Graham. It`s a sign of strength. They`ve got to say something negative about you when they`re afraid of you. They can`t really say I won`t do a good job.``

For Adele Messinger, a Palm Beach County delegate, it was somewhat of a revelation to see the tug-of-war at work: ``It`s surprising to see so many Pajcic people here. We`re in such a Johnston world.``

The political guessing game of the day, meanwhile, turned out to be ``Where is Barry Kutun?``

Kutun, a Dade County legislator, has been raising substantial funds to run for state insurance commissioner. But the incumbent commissioner Bill Gunter changed his mind about seeking the governorship, and Kutun has yet to announce officially whether he`ll take on Gunter.

Not only was the rumor out that Kutun was quitting, but also that he might be announced as Pajcic`s runing mate.

No truth to either, said Kutun.

Overall, the party`s mood here -- at a conference devoid of the usual acrimony over a platform or a straw ballot vote -- seemed to be relentlessly upbeat and focused on winning.

``I think it`s a fighting mood,`` said Senate President-elect Ken Jenne, D- Hollywood. ``Most people recognize that for the first time since Reconstruction, we`ve got a fight (with the state Republican Party) on our hands.

``The worst thing the Democratic Party has done over the last few years is not tell the story. We saved the beaches, built the roads and fought the crime and didn`t tell people we were the ones doing it.``